A green tire (unvulcanized tire) is maintained at a predetermined pressure and a predetermined temperature in a mold of a vulcanizer and is subjected to vulcanization, and thus, a commercial tire (vulcanized tire) is manufactured. The vulcanized tire immediately after the vulcanization is performed is softened at high temperature, and is easily modified due to its own weight. In addition, the vulcanized tire shrinks when cooling. Accordingly, a post cure inflator (PCI) device is used, which performs inflation processing which cools the vulcanized tire while maintaining the shape of the vulcanized tire.
As shown in PTL 1, a PCI device includes tire holding means, rim lifting means, tire cooling means, and tire carrying-out means.
The tire holding means holds vulcanized and uncooled tire (hereinafter, referred to as an uncooled tire) which is carried-in from the vulcanizer side by a loader. The tire holding means includes a first rim which is fitted into one bead of the carried-in uncooled tire, and a second rim which is fitted into the other bead.
The rim lifting means inserts the second rim into the uncooled tire into which the first rim is fitted, and removes the second rim from the bead of a tire which is cooled (hereinafter, referred to as a cooled tire). Accordingly, the rim lifting means can move the second rim in a direction approaching or separating from the first rim. The rim lifting means includes a guide member which movably supports the second rim in the direction approaching or separating from the first rim, and a driving member such as a hydraulic pressure cylinder which moves the second rim along the guide member.
The tire cooling means injects a fluid such as compressed air into the uncooled tire into which the first rim and the second rim are fitted. In addition, the fluid is injected, a predetermined time elapses, and the uncooled tire is cooled.
The tire carrying-out means carries-out the cooled tire. Here, the second rim is removed from the bead of the cooled tire, and the rim lifting means is separated from the cooled tire held by the first rim. The tire carrying-out means holds the cooled tire held by the first rim, and carries-out the cooled tire to a carrying-out conveyor disposed in the vicinity of the PCI device, or the like. Accordingly, the tire carrying-out means includes a holding member which holds the tire, a guide member which movably supports the holding member in the direction approaching or separating from the first rim, and a driving member such as a hydraulic pressure cylinder which moves the holding member along the guide member.
In this way, the PCI device includes the guide member and the driving member as the rim lifting means and the tire carrying-out means.